Cracking band: Codes

Codes are an Alternative/Electronic quartet from Dublin, Ireland. If you downloaded our April Music Sampler you will be familiar with ‘This Is Goodbye‘, one of my fav tracks at the moment.

Despite seeing a potentially promising deal with EMI evaporate before their eyes, the band have kept going, and with the imminent UK release of Trees Dream In Algebra you get the feeling all the hard work and dedication may have just all been worth it.

Soaring vocal harmonies, dreamy arrangements and a calculated cryptography of electronic beats, piano, glockenspiel and analogue soundscapes permeate their sound, following the musical highway trod by the likes of U2, Keane and Muse.

The new record was recorded in Gloucestershire and mixed in Auckland, New Zealand with acclaimed producer Greg Haver (Manics, SFA) and mastered in NYC by Greg Calbi (U2,Interpol,Kings of Leon). As you would expect from these guys their sound is BIG!

Known for their energetic and engaging live shows, we had a quick chat with singer Daragh Anderson.

How did you all get together?
We had all been in previous bands before and knew each other from crossing paths around Ireland in various musical incarnations, finding our feet. Paul and I were in one particular band together at the time and had bumped into Ray numerous times, so when we decided to start writing songs that would become Codes, Ray was an obvious candidate.

Eoin and I had been friends since school and he completed the lineup after many influential late night conversations and arguments about music.

Was ‘Trees Dream In Algebra’ easy to record?
Yes, surprisingly. We were completely broke when recording it so every second in the studio counted. When you’re working against the clock like that you have to make sure that there is no room for error, only experimentation.

We tracked the record start to finish in the order that it is today, so I suppose we’re lucky in a way that for all our charting and planning, nothing went horribly wrong.

Who would you cite as musical influences?
Our influences are wide ranging and far reaching, from Steve Reich to Aphex Twin, Bjork to My Bloody Valentine and back again.

What is your fav song on the album?
It changes from time to time, depending on the show usually. Right now I’d have to say Memorial.

Who do you want to produce your next record?
Quite loving the work Jacknife Lee has done, and have always been a huge admirer of Kevin Shields. One can always dream.